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Mother of Pearl

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Conch Pearl Photos

Enjoy my conch pearl photos of five colorful conch pearls in various shapes and colors.

5 Nice Conch Pearls

Conch Pearls 5 in a Row

5 Conch Pearls

Conch Pearls Photo

5 Conch Pearls

5 Conch Pearls

5 Conch Pearls with Shell

5 Conch Pearls with Shell

Conch Pearls Photo

Conch Pearls

Conch Pearls in Shell

Conch Pearls in Shell

Conch Pearls in Shell

Among univalves, the most prominent pearl-producer is probably the common conch or great conch (Strombus gigas) of the West Indies and the Florida coast, which secretes beautiful pink pearls of considerable value.

This is one of the largest of the univalve shells, some individuals measuring twelve inches in length, and weighing five or six pounds. The graceful curves and the delicate tints of lovely pink color make it exceedingly attractive. The conch abounds in the waters of the West Indies, especially in the Bahamas, a group of more than four hundred islands off the Florida coast, where many thousands are annually taken for the shell, which forms quite an article of commerce. The flesh is esteemed as food and is also used for bait; and it is particularly in preparing for these purposes that the pearls are found, as no established fisheries exist for the pearls alone.

Those who gather these shells have been called, "Conchs".

Near the shores, where they formerly abounded, a few conchs are yet picked up by wading fishermen. In waters of medium depth they are secured either by diving or by means of a long pole with a hook at the end. In great depths, the mollusks are located by means of a water glass similar to the type employed in the Red Sea or among the South Sea Islands.